two weeks and counting...

Two weeks and counting until I return to the states. I can't say how excited I am to be back in America. Let's just say, really excited. Only one more week of German, woohoo! I had an interesting conversation over brunch today with some friends of my German roommate. I asked them how they would describe German culture and they drew a blank; one girl muttered, "What culture?" I found that a bit discouraging. The other girl said something about the family structure and how family members in Germany are more independent or something. Then somehow we got to talking about how difficult it is for boys in Germany to grow into becoming confident men. Apparently the feminist movement is really strong here and there are tons of alpha women exerting their anti-male propaganda... hehe okay that was a bit overboard, but my host mom did make a point of saying how it irritates her that there are so many German women that have this anti-male attitude. Anyhow this is one of the suggested reasons for why German boys fail to develop sufficient self confidence early on in life. Another reason has to do with the education system. In Germany students are put on a track by the time their 12 that basically determines the next 12 years of their life. Those that are recommended on the track to go to University end up at what is called gymnasium, the equivalent of a normal American HS. The other tracks do not lead to University, but some kind of vocational school or apprenticeships. Unemployment is incredibly high in Germany 10-20% depending on what region. The girl said that teachers in Germany don't praise their students for their achievements; my friend confirmed this in her own class, when she praised a student for her excellent answer, the students gave my friend a look of utter disbelief. I think that says a lot. I know personally my development as an individual and as a student has been heavily influenced by my parents and my teachers. Aside from our parents, teachers are the other primary source of direction and encouragement for many youngsters. It makes me said to think that in Germany it is normal for teachers to have no relationship at all with their students. I've always been blessed with fantastic and caring teachers. Without them I don't think I would be the person that I am today.

Just some thoughts...